Back pain beliefs among Indian migrants in Australia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose One of the largest migrant communities in Australia is the Indian migrant community. Current back pain guidelines recommend assessment of patients’ beliefs; however, little is known about these beliefs in Indian communities. We aimed to investigate beliefs about back pain among Indian migrants living in Sydney. Material and methods An online questionnaire with demographic information, participant characteristics, the Back Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ) and open-ended questions relating to beliefs about causes of back pain and treatment preferences was completed by 386 Indian migrants in Sydney. Results The overall BBQ score was 25.1 ± 6.7. We found significant but slightly more positive beliefs among Indian females than Indian males (standardized regression coefficient, β = 0.134, p = 0.014). Presence and severity of pain did not affect back pain beliefs. There seemed to be a belief in physical and structural/anatomical causes of back pain, and a belief in the effectiveness of exercise, medications, and Indian traditional approaches for pain management. Conclusions Beliefs of Indian migrants aligned with a “western traditional” biomedical model for the cause of pain, but with a belief in the effectiveness of both Indian traditional and western treatment approaches. Awareness of these beliefs could enable an effective therapeutic alliance between clinicians and Indian patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Back pain beliefs of Australian Indian migrants are similar to their western counterparts, so the current guidelines for back pain can potentially be implemented without too much adjustment for this migrant community. Awareness of these beliefs is likely to improve the therapeutic alliance between clinician and an Indian migrant patient.